Roles where Shefali Shah stole the spotlight

Bollywood actress Shefali Shah, who made her debut almost three decades back (in 1995) with Aamir Khan-Urmila Matondkar's Rangeela (she had a cameo appearance in the film), is now all set to work with the next-generation stars, Alia Bhatt and Vijay Varma.

That's right. After making her mark in the Netflix crime series Delhi Crime, Shah will now feature in Darlings. The film is being produced by Shah Rukh Khan's Red Chillies Entertainment. Bhatt is also making her production venture with the movie. Her production house is named Eternal Sunshine Productions.

While Shah has worked with Khan in Mohabbatein, she will be paired up opposite Varma and Bhatt for the first time.

The National Award winner (for Last Lear) has given the audiences various memorable roles throughout her career.

Here's looking at a few...

Satya

Satya was a film which made 'Bhiku Mhatre' Manoj Bajpayee popular. However, when people watch the Ram Gopal Varma directorial, they cannot help but notice how powerful the character of his wife Pyaari Mhatre, played by Shah, is. In fact, the song 'Sapne Mein Milti Hai' was dedicated solely to their relationship.

Shah even won the Filmfare Award for Best Actress - Critics, for her role in the film.

Satya is the story of a man who becomes a gangster after seeing how he has to struggle for basic needs on a day-to-day basis. The film is full of action and drama, which makes it a masala entertainer with a touch of reality.

The film can be streamed on Amazon Prime Video.

Monsoon Wedding

Shah, in the role of Ria Verma, was one of the real characters from Mira Nair's Monsoon Wedding. She had experienced trauma in her childhood, due to which Verma could not have a relationship and chose to remain unmarried.

However, as the film comes to an end, her character grows and finds respite. She is finally able to enjoy the concept of weddings, as she witnesses two beautiful ones in front of her eyes.

Monsoon Wedding beautifully brought together various characters, all of who were mesmerized by the concept of love.

Unfortunately the film is currently not streaming on any OTT platform.

Delhi Crime

The International Emmy award winning show, Delhi Crime, is how people across the globe recognize Shah today. She played the role of DCP (Deputy Chief Police) Vartika Chaturvedi in the web series.

The show was based on the Nirbhaya gang rape case. A new season of the show is slated to release soon.

Delhi Crime can be viewed on Netflix India.

Juice

Juice is one of the few short films which convey its message effectively. The short film is the story of husbands juxtapositioning their wives. The irony in the short film is how the husbands consider their wives to be weak, thinking they could not stand the hot weather while travelling to work, although at the same time they send their wives in the kitchen, cooking for the husbands while bearing the extreme heat.

Manish Chaudhary as Brijesh Singh hosts a party at home, while Shah as Manju Singh is responsible for feeding the guests. The short film brilliantly shows her viewpoint. The actress speaks so much even in her silence that it could give anybody goosebumps.

The actress won Best Actor - Female at Jio Filmfare Short Film Awards, 2018, for her role in Juice.

The short film can be viewed on YouTube.

Dil Dhadakne Do

Dil Dhadakne Do is the story of a dysfunctional family who set off on a cruise only to see how their lives change thereon.

Shah played the role of the elite housewife, Neelam Mehra who was sensitive but never let her husband dictate terms to her. She beautifully portrayed insecurity and rose above it all by the end of the film.

The Zoya Akhtar directorial, starring Shah, Anil Kapoor, Ranveer Singh, Priyanka Chopra and Anushka Sharma in the lead roles, can be streamed on Netflix in India.

Waqt: A Race Against Time

Shah also featured in her husband Vipul Shah's film Waqt: A Race Against Time. She played the role of Akshay Kumar (Aditya Thakur)'s mother and Ishwarchand (Amitabh Bachchan)'s wife, Sumitra Thakur.

It is the story of Ishwar, who throws his reckless son out of his house, after realizing he has only a few months to live.

The film can be streamed on Amazon Prime Video.

Once Again

A widowed restaurant owner Tara Shetty (Shah) accidentally starts communicating with an isolated film actor Amar Kumar (Neeraj Kabi) on call everyday.

What happens, when they decide to meet each other, makes up for the rest of the story.

Shah won Editor’s Choice – Best Actor - Female Award from Power Brands, for her role in the film.

Once Again can be viewed on Netflix India.

Gandhi, My Father

Shah played the role of Mahatma Gandhi (Darshan Jariwala)'s wife Kasturba Gandhi in the movie Gandhi, My Father.

She was awarded the best actress award at Tokyo International Film Festival, for Gandhi, My Father.

The film was based on the relationship between Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi and his son Harilal Gandhi (played by Akshaye Khanna).

The film can be streamed on Amazon Prime Video.

The Last Lear

In The Last Lear, Shah plays the role of Vandana, who takes care of Harish (played by Amitabh Bachchan). He is a theatre veteran and a retired actor who despises the ways of modern filmmaking but agrees to work on one anyway.

The Last Lear beautifully captures his journey till his last breath, and the impact he has left on people's lives (including Vandana's).

Shah won the National Film Award for best supporting actress, for her role in the film.

The film can be viewed on YouTube.